


A rose by any other name

by amamiya_toki



Series: One Love [2]
Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Drama & Romance, F/M, Names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 11:21:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10097975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amamiya_toki/pseuds/amamiya_toki
Summary: Tsunashi Ryuunosuke notices how Yotsuba Tamaki always calls others by a nickname, which made him realise something important. Despite dating for half a year he and his girlfriend, Ousaka Sougo, still refer to each other in a formal manner. He wants that to change.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It seems that I've been making a lot of spelling misses lately even after using Grammarly. There are also bits which have missing words within a sentence due to my brain working faster than my hands can type. If you spot a mistake, feel free to let me know.
> 
> Enjoy.

"Say, Sou-chan, I got something I wanna ask about this part here…"

"What is it, Tamaki-chan?"

It was a normal day for everyone in Idolish7, the upcoming all-female idol group. Today, two of their members, Yotsuba Tamaki and Ousaka Sougo, were taking on a job as their two-woman unit, Mezzo".

They were filming for a one episode spin-off of a popular mystery drama series, where they had been invited to take part in the audition upon recommendation by their leader Nikaidou Yamane, who was cast in the main series as a major supporting character. Both of them had passed the audition and received high expectations from the director and staff. Tamaki was portraying Shindou Kanami, the newbie detective of the police force who was the protagonist of this special episode. Sougo took on the role of Kusakabe Mari, Kanami's beloved senior from high school who was the frail and sickly wife of the murder victim. Another notable member of the star-studded cast was Tsunashi Ryuunosuke of Trigger, who was portraying Mari's older half-brother Tsukishima Makoto, who was the perpetrator.

Today was the day set to record scenes where most characters, be it central ones or those who play a smaller part in the story, appear together. There were not a lot, but they were not few in number either.

Ryuu had come over to give his greetings to the ladies of Idolish7 during their break, only to find the younger consulting the older about a part in their script. It made him pleased to see how hardworking they were, an inspiration for him to put in more effort as well.

"Ah, it's Ryuu-Aniki. Good day~"

"Good afternoon, Tsunashi-san."

"G-Good afternoon." For a moment, Ryuu felt his heart skip a best when Ousaka Sougo smiled at him.

It was a secret from many people, even their own groupmates, but Ryuu and Sougo were dating. He had confessed to her about a little more than six months ago, after finally gathering the courage to do so despite harbouring feeling for her quite a while before he did. She had reciprocated his feelings and they became a couple. However, due to the busy nature of their professions, there were few chances to go on dates or spend time with each other. That is why Ryuu was grateful for the opportunity to work closely with her.

"Ryuu-Aniki, is something the matter? Does your tummy hurt?"

"Tsunashi-san, you are feeling unwell?"

"No, no! I'm not!" Ryuu did not realise that he had been spacing out until Tamaki called him by the nickname she had crafted for him. "I'm fine, thank you for worrying."

"That's good to hear."

"Say, Ryuu-Aniki!" Tamaki quickly changed the topic just as the thought popped into her mind. "Sou-chan and I were thinking of going out for dinner after this, to that new udon place Momorin and Yukirin told us about. You wanna come with? It'll be Sou-chan's treat!"

It took about two seconds for Ryuu to comprehend who Tamaki was referring to, and he realised the girl was referring to Momo and Yuki, their seniors who formed the popular group Re:vale.

"Sure, I don't mind if Ousaka-san doesn't. Naturally, I'll pay for my own portion…"

"You don't have to worry about small matters like that, Tsunashi-san! I don't mind at all… in fact, I'd love for it if you could you join us tonight."

"I see. I'll take up on your offer, then."

"Everyone! We're going to continue!" One of the staff members called for them, and the filming quickly resumed.

It had not bothered Ryuu before, but he could not help but be bothered by the way Tamaki uses nicknames to address those around her. No, he was not annoyed nor did he dislike it. It merely caught his interest and could not get it out of his head. However, what had made him concerned was not the nicknames themselves: it simply made him realise that despite being a couple, he and Sougo still referred to each other by their family names. It was not unusual, but it implied a certain distance between them that was uncomfortable to him.

He knew that he was free to call her anything he wishes, but he knows well enough that she would be troubled if he were to change the way he calls her without any prior warning.

After much thought, perhaps the reason why he was bothered was because of his role in this drama. In accordance with the script, he killed his brother-in-law as punishment for cheating on his precious younger sister who was weak and sickly. He did it not as a brother to her, but also as a man who loves her as a woman.

The filming for the drama ended without many problems. There were other scenes left to record, but those would be left for another session.

They had agreed to meet at the lobby of the building. Ryuu had driven to work today and offered them a lift to dinner and back to their dorms. It was a good arrangement as their managers both needed to rush off to other locations where their groupmates were.

Dinner with the girls had always been a pleasant affair for Ryuu. Tamaki, who claims that she hates men, had proclaimed Ryuu as her "favourite male person" after their time working together. She always had interesting stories to tell him whenever they met. Ryuu would listen attentively, seeing the younger girl as something akin to a younger sister. Sougo was quieter when her partner was around, but normally she would add to the conversation at appropriate moments.

"Ryuu-Aniki, what do you want to order? They got many kinds of udon here!"

"Hmm… I haven't decided."

"Sou-chan! I want kitsune udon! With a side of fried chicken!"

"No problem. Here, the meal tickets. Go place your order at the counter."

"Thanks! I'll go find us a table, too!"

"Tsunashi-san, have you decided?"

"I'm still debated. What about you, Ousaka-san?"

"I'm having the one with the seasonal vegetables. I don't feel like having meat today."

"I see… why don't you go place your order first? I'll join the both of you in a bit."

Sougo nodded in acknowledgement and went to place her order. In the meantime, Ryuu decided on his own, joining the ladies in the corner of the shop. He chose to take the seat next to Sougo and opposite of Tamaki.

"What did you order?" The white-haired beauty asked him as he sat down.

"Udon with sliced beef." Beneath the table where no one could see, he took her hands and laced his fingers with hers. "With an extra helping of noodles."

Sougo blushed at the sudden contact, but it had gone unnoticed as Tamaki was trying to get Ryuu's attention.

"Ryuu-Aniki, you gotta hear about this! I went to Iorin's family's place the other day, you see, they were trying out a whole bunch of new cakes…"

The girl spoke excitedly about the sweets and treats she was allowed to sample at fonte chocolat, the shop owned by the parents of her fellow members Izumi Mitsuki and Iori. Ryuu listened attentively and participated in the conversation. Despite that, there were times when his gaze would wonder off to Sougo, who was unusually quiet today.

"Ousaka-san, are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine. There's no problem at all." "Really, Sou-chan? I thought it's really bad for you when you're seeing red." "Seeing red…?" Ryuu looked towards Sougo for confirmation behind the meaning of that phrase, but for some reason, she seemed embarrassed about it and he felt to pry.

Just about that time, their food was ready and was delivered to their table. As the weather was starting to get colder, the heat that wafted out from the soup was appealing. They let go of each other's hand, as it would look strange for them to eat using one hand. They gave their thanks and began to tuck in.

Before she started on hers, Sougo passed Ryuu the small jar of Shichimi. They had once visited a certain soba shop near Takanashi Productions where she learnt that while he did not have a taste for spicy food like her, he enjoyed sprinkling a bit of the spice blend over his food. When he was done he passed it back to her, knowing that she would definitely add copious amounts of it to her portion. When she did, Tamaki made a face.

"Sou-chan, again?"

"Tamaki-chan, each people have their own preferences when it comes to food. Just like how you prefer sweets and candy she prefers spicy food. It's fine like that, isn't it?"

"But Ryuu-Aniki!" She protested at his interjection with a pout.

"I'll buy you pudding before our next filming for the drama, so let this case rest?"

As if he had just said a magic word, Ryuu watched Tamaki's eyes light up and sparkle. "Pudding! Ryuu-Aniki, you're the best!"

"You don't have to spoil her like that." Sougo chided him lightly, mixing the powder into her soup before taking her first mouthful of noodles.

"It's fine, I've been meaning to since she had been working hard for this drama."

"If you insist, I shall not stop you."

The three left the shop after they had finished their food, with their bellies warm and satisfied.

Similar to their earlier arrangement, Tamaki got into the back seat of the car and Sougo was sitting next to Ryuu. The younger girl was sleepy, having just eaten her fill, and was yawning. She soon fell asleep after making the request that Sougo would wake her up when they reach their destination.

That left Ryuu and Sougo to have some time to themselves, and a chance for the former to bring up the topic that had been on his mind.

"Ousaka-san, I forgot to congratulate you."

"Regarding?"

"For making it second on the 'Idol you want to have as your bride' ranking. You know, the one they mentioned on that famous variety programme."

"Oh, that… It's not something that I should be congratulated about. I mean, it's just something that others decided on their own."

"That may be true, but it just reflects how many people have recognised your beauty. For an idol, it contributes to your popularity and as your rival, it makes me happy. However, I do have to admit that it makes me jealous as your boyfriend, to think that there are others who see you that way."

"I-Is that so…?"

Being able to hear his true feelings made her happy; this honest side of him was one of the many things she liked… loved about him.

"Ousaka-san, if it isn't a bother, may I make a little request of you?"

"Go ahead."

"I'd like to call you by your first name… if that is alright with you."

It was something out of the blue, so he could not blame her for looking surprised. "I don't mind, but what brought this on?"

"Ah, well, I just realised that… you know, we're still referring to each other so formally. I mean, if it's at work it's fine, but at least when we're together…"

It was awkward for him to put what he wanted to say into words, but she understood what he was trying to convey to her. She too felt the same regarding the matter but had considered it a matter of little concern. It was always surprising how they were of the same opinion regarding certain matters, yet were simply too ashamed to bring it up.

"S-So would it be fine if I called you… Sougo-san? Chan? From now on?"

"I'm fine with either as long as it's you, Tsu… R-Ryuunosuke-san."

Well. That was awkward.

So much so that the both of them could not help but burst into laughter. "Somehow, it feels like we're a newly-wedded couple on our first night."

"Does it…?" She blushed upon hearing that. "T… Ryuunosuke-san, have you ever thought of getting married?"

"Hmm… that topic never really crossed my mind. As of now, I'd like to put my career first; just because we're popular now doesn't mean we would be for the next few years. Tenn once said that it takes real effort and a lot of hard work to stay at the top, just like Momo-san and Yuki-san. They are truly amazing people and I can see why they've remained at the top all these years. Trigger doesn't even deserve to be compared to them."

"You're right…"

"What about you, Sougo-san? What do you think about marriage?"

"Me? I… I feel the same as Ryuunosuke-san."

"I see." He reached over to hold her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Well, we got all the time in the world. Besides, I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else but you, Sougo-san."

"It's the same for me, Ryuunosuke. I don't think there's anyone else for me aside from you."

The car came to a smooth halt in front of the crossing, as the light had just turned red. "Sougo-san, turn your head this way."

She did, and while the lights have yet to change he stole a kiss from her lips. It was not the first time he did something like this, but it was when there was another passenger in the car.

Sougo nearly shouted at him in surprise, but he put a finger to her lips. "Shh. You might wake Tamaki-chan up."

She nodded in acknowledgement, but could not help a fierce blush from turning her face red.

"Ryuunosuke-san, you're a tease, aren't you?"

"R-Really? How so?"

_"… Stupid Ryuu-Aniki. It's obvious that Sou-chan doesn't feel that way."_

The couple continued their conversation, but as they did they were left completely unaware that the girl lying curled up comfortably on the cushioned seats behind them had been awake the entire time.

Tamaki may look listless and uncaring as she had been told by many, but she was by no means ignorant. Being Sougo's partner she was closer to her more than anyone else and had been aware of many things that the woman herself had yet to realise herself. This included her feelings and thoughts towards Ryuu, which had manifested as what Yamane had dubbed "the disgustingly pink aura of a pure-hearted maiden in love". She did not know when they had gotten together, it was none of her business anyway, but she was fine with it.

Out of consideration of the older woman who she feared, admired and held respect for, Tamaki simply kept quiet. She had no qualms about them dating, despite Iori constantly saying things like how idols were not allowed to fall in love and they exist only for their fans and all that crap. She was not one to care about uptight things like that. All that mattered was that Sougo was and would be happy.

Tamaki trusted Ryuu to do that. She knew that he was a reliable man who would not turn out to be the terrible bastard that her father, the cause of her hate for men, was. Despite that, it annoyed her how Sougo was afraid of opening up herself to him. She knew it was not due to the lack of trust but simply her own insecurity that led her to keep everything to herself. This would cause them problems in the future, no doubt, and Ryuu has to realise this himself if he plans to walk by her side for the rest of their lives.

However, they were just starting out. He would eventually realise in due time, she hoped, even if it took him years to. At his point in time, he may have some subtle awareness about it, but Tamaki is sure that he would know what to do when he becomes completely aware of it.

For now, she was going to watch them from afar to make sure that everything goes right.

**\- End -**

**Author's Note:**

> I had to work on a Saturday and came up with this. I'm still feeling stressed, exhausted and depressed; it's going to be two weeks soon and I'm not getting better, maybe because whenever I make a plan to make myself feel better it just goes wrong. I worry. Working on this made me get by somehow, so maybe I'll be writing a bit more this month so I don't let my mind wander.
> 
> Maybe I should finish up whatever I left half-written; not limited to those I've posted up one-half of but those I l haven't finished. I'll decide later on, perhaps.


End file.
